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70mm Wide-screen

During the 1950s and 60s special 70mm films were produced and shown in cinemas equipped with super wide curved screens often exceeding 50 feet.   A single cinema was as large as today's multiplex, requiring to show the same film for many months or years to break even or make a profit.

Ben Hur

Prior to digital recording the standard test for high quality analogue magnetic multi-track recorders was to repeatedly record and play back and record over and over until noticeable degradation appeared, which was approx 6 times.   Only un-compressed digital recordings can achieve being repeatedly re-recorded with zero loss.

Many of the 70mm films had 6 independent channels of full fidelity magnetic sound tracks on the film stock.   The sound fidelity was superior to most of the digital formats of today.   The channel separation was so great that it was possible to independently record and play back different orchestral music on each track, with minimal loss or crosstalk.   This separation enabled remarkable sound-scape that could emulate the experience of a real symphony orchestra on stage.

South Pacific

The cost of 70mm was more than 10 times greater compared to 35mm film.   The process of applying the magnetic tracks to the 70mm film was extremely difficult, which was done at the end of the film stock's manufacturing process.   The play back head on the projector had to be in perfect alignment, regularly inspected, meticulously cleaned and periodically de-magnetized and replaced when worn.   This procedure was done with great pride and attention.

The only limitation was from partial de-magnetization of the sound tracks if the film stock was accidently placed against a transformer.   But in all in all other respects the magnetic format was more robust and superior in performance to the optical format including today's digital.

5 screen speakers

Many of the large early cinemas equipped for showing 70mm cinemas in the 1950s were fitted with five speaker systems that were magnitudes greater in size than the majority of sound systems in cinemas today.   (left) - (left-center)- (center) - (right-center) - (right)   The five screen speaker systems were able to give precise sound positioning and even spatial movement across the screen.   The single surround channel   could be automated to left side - right side - rear - and overhead to simulate an aircraft flying around the room.   However switching the surround channel was more commonly done with Cinerama.

2001

Stanley Kubrick's  '2001 A Space Odyssey'  had its world premiere on 2 April 1968 and became the most successful film in this format.   But many people were unable to experience it as he intended, as most of the large wide screen cinemas with 70mm projectors were closing to make way for the 'economically rational' new multiplexes equipped with the new improved 35mm projectors with improved Lens (Anamorphic) that could also achieve wide screen formats.   Sound fidelity was no longer considered important as the economical rationalist belief was that the majority of the new emerging consumer driven generation have become obsessed with image and brand identification.

There are only a limited number of 70mm films being produced today (IMAX is 70mm) and sound reproduction is now rationalised to the modern digital format and uses the external DTS system.   Today's compressed digital formats printed on 35mm film stock are far more restricted in fidelity with limited channel separation in comparison to the 6 analogue magnetic tracks on the earlier 70mm film.

During the early 60s I was apprenticed to an ex senior engineer of Western Electric UK who had been involved in pioneering technology for magnetic multiple track recording and large scale sound systems for cinema and auditoriums.   He and his fellow engineers had been with the cinema industry from the beginning of sound.   In the 1950s they believed that the full fidelity magnetic format was the way of the future, and the optical low fidelity format would go the way of the Dodo, especially since Television had arrived.   I think back in regret at how I could have paid more attention to all they tried to teach me.   But as a 17yr old in the early 60s my primary interests were creating sound systems and mixing for hi-energy blues bands, surfing and chasing free love, which I never caught.

Cinerama logo


Cinerama was without doubt the greatest achievement in cinematic history.   Created by people of genius, madness and unlimited passion.   Russia also had its own equivalent Kino-panorama.   This is what going to the movies is about,  'To be beamed up and blown away'.   The opening roller coaster ride caused everyone to tightly grip their seats and hang on for their lives, screaming with excitement.   Paper bags were also supplied for emergencies.   I was 12 in 1957 when I first experienced Cinerama.

Cinerama consisted of three projectors covering a giant 146deg super wide curved screen that included peripheral vision, enabling a 3D experience to be achieved.   Cinerama was spoken of as an experience separately from just being seen.   The only limitation was the annoying joining lines which were eventually minimised.

Cinerama 3 pics
Cinerama

The sound was supplied from a separate 35mm 7 track magnetic tape machine that sync locked the 3 projectors.   There were 5 giant speaker systems behind the screen as well as surround speakers, as shown in the below pic.   After intermission there was a demonstration of the sound system effortlessly replicating a symphony orchestra as though it was actually present on stage.   It was this effect of hearing an accurate replication of sound reality and detailed positioning of a symphony orchestra that resulted in electro-acoustic technology becoming the passion of my lifes' work.

Cinerama
Cinerama speakers

Many early NASA astronauts and engineers including John F Kennedy described how they were inspired by the Cinerama experience.   Both Cinerama and Kino-panorama influenced the generation of the 1950s proving the impossible could be achieved and gave extra motivation for the race to put a man into space (April 1961) and then to the moon (September 16, 1969).

Unfortunately these large magnificent cinemas and titanic film productions are out of place in a modern superficial digital world of consumerism, where corporate and political motivation is now driven by self interest and economic greed.

On behalf of all who are passionate about Cinerama technology we wish to express our gratitude to John Mitchell for his life work in recovering and restoring large quantities of the Cinerama stock and also David Culls for his entertaining historical accounts of the Cinerama era.
John Mitchell's backyard Cinerama pics

Copyright note   Some of these pics have been modified to represent the concepts.   We thank and recommend the Wide-screen museum and other historical sites who allow these picturers to be available for education purposes.

Links

Cinerama and 70mm

wikipedia.org/Cinerama
www.cineramaadventure.com   Essential reading
www.cineramaadventure.com   Videos of Cinerama experience.
www.widescreenmuseum.com   Widescreen Museum
www.in70mm.com   70mm and Cinerama
wikipedia.org 2001 A Space Odyssey
wikipedia/Widescreen
www.fromscripttodvd.com   List of 70mm films
www.imax.com

End of Topic 2
 
Created: 08-Apr-2024